Tiger
by MysteriousWriter1127
Summary: What if Gilmer lost her companion? Will she save it? Who will save her? During Light of the world a few seconds after she sang her solo.


**I made this before and posted. But I thought to put a little more spice in the recipe. It needs a lot and I mean lot of cinnamon and sugar. There is a little friendship fluff in this, but no romance. Oh! And a little salt. Not a lot of salt, but that'll be good!**

**I don't own all the characters. Especially the puppet. But I kinda do own the idea and the inspiration.**

**However I know I made someone fall overboard in a sequel I stopped, and the few other stories that have almost the same. But I thought it would be interesting. AND I WANT TO! OK? OK! SUMMARY TIME!**

**What if Gilmer lost her companion? Will she save it? Who will save her? During Light of the world in the movie a few seconds after she sang her solo.**

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><p>It is a beautiful day on the tugboat that plows to the sea. The New York City weather is beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky. The twin towers look so nice as it reflects the sunlight. The east river by the sea reflects a sky blue color, the waves are glistening and sparkling as the sun shines on the water. On the deck of the boat, all disciples are singing, dancing, drinking wine, and cleaning the boat.<p>

The auburn-haired girl, Gilmer skips around on the deck of the boat with her tiger puppet on her hand. After pulling a rope which lead up to a can of nothing but water, she puts her finger in it, then to her mouth, tasted it, and made a face. She throws the water back to the sea in disgust, and then decides to explore the boat. As she was skipping, she suddenly came to a stop and looked out at the sea with her puppet looking out also seeing the sights of the city as the boat journeys out to the sea. She can smell the salty mist as she gazes out to experience the beauty.

Suddenly the strong wind flew by, and Gilly gripped tight on her hat with her free hand. As she holds on tight, the puppet flew out of her hand and blown into the water.

Gilmer, shocked with worry shouted, "NO!" She looked left and right. There is nobody nearby to help. She also felt as if it's her fault, so she has to save it herself. So she takes off her hat, and her shoes, and without thinking, she stepped on the railing and jumped into the water.

Nobody noticed that she jumped. Lynne walked around the side of the deck with a mop and Robin follows. "Lynne! Stop throwing your mop in my face," She shouted angrily to Lynne, "Now I'm a mess."

"I'm sorry, that won't happen again. Wait. What's that?" They stopped at where Gil's orange flat shoes and her hat lay. And they are by the railing. "Are those Gil's?"

They looked at the stuff, and then the railing to the sea and at each other in horror. Lynne dropped the mop and looked over the railing to the water screaming, "GILMER!" Robin did the same.

At the bow, Jeffrey and Merrell, who were busy with a dustpan, heard the screaming, dropped the things and ran to them. "What's going on?" Jeff asked panting as soon as they got there.

"Gilmer literally went overboard," Robin cried.

"WHAT?!" They both yelled at the same exact time. Then Jeffrey looked over also. "I don't see her!"

"She fell?" Merrell asked also in surprise.

"She jumped," Lynne shouted worrying, "Merrell, go get a life ring and rope! Robin, go get the Master. Jeffrey, tell Jerry to stop this boat!"

The obeyed and did quickly as possible to save their friend. Lynne stayed to search for her. Joanne, David and Katie found out what's going on, and ran to Merrell and helped out with the long old rope.

Meanwhile underwater, Gilmer swam around to find her puppet. It was dark and very ice cold down there. Though there is little light up the surface. But Gilmer was brave. She opened her eyes, her vision is blurry. She holds her breath as long as she could. She knew she needs more oxygen, but her friendship is more important.

She searches around until her hand felt some fur. She was a bit startled, trying not to lose the air in her lungs. At first she thought it was a dead rat of rodent that recently drowned. But then felt the ears and a nose and hands. She found her tiger puppet. She smiled happily and held its hand.

But how will she get out of there? She can't find the light. She actually sees it above her head, it looks far, she was actually nearly halfway to the ground. But then her leg hit something underwater. The thread in her long sock got caught and it begins to make a hole. It also begins to scratch her leg, and then the air exhaled as bubbles from her mouth and nose. She lost pretty much all the oxygen she has. Now she can't breathe. She looks down to see if her leg is alright, there was a hole in her sock, and a 3 1/2 inch cut that's bleeding. Now she's cold, scared and injured. She needs help, but there is no one around to help her. The water went into her nose, swallowing, and then she begins to sink. The vision is getting blurrier and blurrier. She knew that she's losing consciousness in a few moments. Still gripping on her puppet's hand, she closed her eyes.

Back on the boat, Robin and the Master headed toward Lynne. Jerry stopped the boat as they start searching. Lynne didn't see Gil, because she has been under for over 4 minutes. The Master jumped over the rails and onto the water. To their amazement, they remembered he walks on water. Everyone stood by the railing as they watch their Master

The Master walked toward the area not far from the boat and looked down to see where Gilmer could be. Suddenly he sees something about to sink to the ground and he realized it's her. She's not moving, so the Master noticed she's out. As she sinks slowly, he kneeled and stretches his arm underwater and felt a hand in his. He gripped her hand, and pulled her up.

He shouted to his disciples who are still on the edge of the boat, "Throw the life ring! She's unconscious!" Merrell, Joanne, and Katie have the orange life ring with a long old rope tied around it. They put it on the edge and about to throw it.

"Ok! On the count of three-," Merrell began.

"Merrell, just throw it in!" David and Lynne shouted frantically at the same time. Then he just throws it and holds onto the rope. Soon the others do the same.

The Master picked Gilmer up and carried her on his shoulder to the side of the boat where the life ring and rope are sitting. Then he holds her in his arms, his free hand holds onto the rope and stepped onto the ring. "Pull the rope," he demanded to them.

David heard him, and tells everyone. So they pull the rope. The Master held on gripping tight of two things. The rope and one of his disciples.

"Pull! Pull! Pull," David shouted. The waves begin to grow stronger than ever. Some of the water splashed onto all as they keep pulling. Robin pulls the rope but then she looks over the rails onto the side of the boat where the rope is suddenly beginning to break. "DAVID! THE ROPE," she yelled.

David looked down and told others to heave faster. The Master noticed also, and then climbed on the rope too. As the rope snapped, the Master hops from it, let's go of one rope to hold on to another. The girls gasped in horror for a moment and then sighed of relief. The Master looked down to the water where the life ring floats away from the tug boat. He looks up and also sighed of relief, trying not to let Gil go.

He continued to grip firmly on the rope as everybody pulls. As soon as he reached the railing, the others took Gil by the legs and arms and laid her down gently on the floor of the deck while the Master stepped over the railing with help from Lynne.

"Are you ok Master?" Lynne asked. He nodded and then hurriedly, he kneeled by a motionless Gilmer.

"Gil? Can you hear me? Can you hear us?" Asks Jeffrey as he also kneels by her.

"Who knows CPR?" David asked the others. A few of them shrugged.

"I do. But not the mouth-to-mouth kind of thing," Jerry said a little disgusted.

"I'll do it," Jeffrey shouted with energy, "I've done this before." Then he opened her mouth and then starts breathing in it. He exhaled a few times. That only took about over a minute until watery coughing starts. Gilmer opened her eyes and sat up. Her vision is still blurry, and she begins coughing up some water that she swallowed.

Everyone made a sigh of relief and talked all at once while hugging, kissing and rubbing her back.

Robin: "You're alive!"

Jeffrey: "Gil? Are you alright?"

Katie: "You're ok Gilmer! You're ok!"

Lynne: "Thank the lord!"

Joanne: "Are you hurt Gilly?"

David: "Are you ok?"

Jerry: "How many fingers I'm holding up?"

Merrell shouted above others. "Gilmer! What were you thinking?"

Gilmer stopped heaving and looked up into his eyes. Her vision came back to normal. She sniffled and then her teeth chattered; she's shivering. She is so cold and drenched. The sharp cold air came to her body, like a person who's been in the snow for a long time. She replied slowly and exhaustedly while trembling, "My tiger... fell in the water... And I automatically followed... him by ...jumping over ...the railing."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You had us worried sick," Merrell scolded firmly. Lynne shushed him and kneeled beside her. "It doesn't matter anymore Merrell," she said to him and then turns back to Gil, "All it matters now is that you and you're puppet are safe." And she hugged Gil. She smiled and hugged back, shaking.

The Master puts his hand on her cold cheek as she still trembles. Gilmer lets go of Lynne and hugs her teacher tightly. He sighed in relief that she's alright. He was about to let go of a hug, but Gil doesn't want to, because of the chill. She just wishes to stay like that.

"Let go," the Master whispered to her.

Gilmer shook her head against his chest. "Too cold."

"I'll go get you a blanket. That'll help." He let's go slowly, and asked Jerry and Jeffrey to come with him to the upper deck and get a blanket for her. So the three went quickly for the stairs.

"Oh Gilly," David said with a sad smile, "Why didn't you tell us? We would've jumped in and swam after it for you."

Gilmer looked down at her puppet which is also wet and said, "I have to save it. He's my companion. I nearly lost it. It's all my fault." To others, she looks as if she's about to cry.

"Now Gil, I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Lynne said stroking her wet hair, "it was just an accident."

Gilly nodded and then continues to shiver. Lynne asked, "Cold?"

Gil nodded again, quickly wrapping her arms around her. Her cheeks and nose became pink. Robin put her hand on her forehead. "You feel warm."

"I'm frreeeeeezzzzzzzing!" Gilmer's teeth chatter, and then she sneezes.

"Bless you! I think you're catching a cold," the blonde said to her worryingly.

Gilmer brought her legs to her chest, hugged them, and curled up into a tiny ball trying to get warm. "Don't worry", Lynne soothed, "the Master will be on the way back to bring the blanket. Hang in there Gil." She puts her hand on her shoulder.

"Gilly? What's that?" Joanne pointed to the cut that's still on her leg with a hole in the sock, and it's still bleeding. Then Gilmer felt fuzziness in her head. She put her hand on it trying not to pass out. She propped one of her elbows on the deck to keep her up and not let her fall.

"That's not good! Katie," Joanne calls, "Ka- Oh." She realized Katie is right next to her. "I'm on it." Katie sat next to her with a first-aid kit she found in the ship's cabin. She brought it just in case of an emergency. She soothes Gil and tells her to calm down so she can fix it. Of course, Gilmer did protest because she has seen this before. So reluctantly, she backs up away from her.

Lynne stops Gil from moving away, and holds her hand to squeeze and Gilmer winced as the pain came in with a small sting that Katie puts on the wound.

Katie shushed her and said to her soothingly, "it's going to be alright."

"No. I mean Lynne, you're squeezing my hand too hard!" Then she smiles and giggles. Lynne shook her head rolling her eyes, also smiling. The reason why she said that because the only way to take her mind off is looking on the bright side and have a good laugh about it. Especially in a situation like this.

As soon as Katie cleaned, disinfect, and put a bandage on it, she leaned down and kissed it. Then she pulled up Gil's sock on top of it. She also found a spare threading needle in the kit for some reason, and then fixed a hole in her sock. "I wouldn't walk on it too much if I were you. Just wait an hour until it's all healed."

"Thanks Katie," Gilmer tiredly whispered grinning and hugged Katie hoping for warmth. Katie hugged her and gently rubbed her back.

Merrell kneels down too, and then wraps his arms around them also to embrace. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's alright. I kinda deserved that," Gilmer muffled, buried in a hug accepting his apology.

Katie and Merrell let go, but Gilmer still doesn't want to. She's still wet, tired, and cold. She clung tight to Katie and closes her eyes. After the injury, she felt as if the energy was drained from her body.

Katie looked down. "Gil? Gilly? Are you alright?" She didn't respond, but she did open her eyes again, snuggled up against her still trying to get warm. But to no avail, she let's go and lies on her side while she tried to heat herself up, her teeth still chattering. She hugs her tiger puppet to make sure it gets warm too.

Katie rubbed her arm calming her down and muttered under her breath, "Where the heck are they?"

A minute later, the Master, Jerry, and Jeffrey came back with a blanket from the cabin on the upper deck, and wrapped Gilly around it. She stopped shivering and sighed finally feeling very content, warm, and safe. Though her face was still pink.

"What took you guys so long?" Joanne asked with a little bossy-like tone.

"We were getting to the door upstairs, but then it was locked, so we had to find the keys. So we went downstairs and found them in the lower cabin. Went back upstairs, and then opened the door. We searched in every closet or cupboard, until we found it." Jerry explained panting with a small voice impression. Jeffrey nodded also panting.

David came over and picked Gilmer up and carried her bridal style to the cabin just so her leg would heal. The Master follows him. Everyone else went back to work on cleaning the decks, especially the mess on the main deck, and Jerry goes back up and continues to drive the boat.

Gilmer and the Master sat inside the small cabin, with only one small circular window, and a candle. Her hair is unbraided, and the clothes are almost dry but wrinkled. She sits on the cot by the heater where she gets all warm with the thick blanket still wrapped around her. Her hands clasped tight to a cup of steaming hot tea they also found. The Master sat on a little stool by the cot watching his friend.

"Are you alright Gilmer?" He asked.

Gilmer nodded, sighs sadly and looked to the Master. "I'm so sorry," she replied hesitating, "I had to. I mean- it fell- the wind-"

"It's alright Gil. You don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong. I understand. I know you're trying to save your puppet. You really love it. Don't you?"

As he said that, she looks down and softly said, "I love you guys too. I mean in a friendship, family-like way."

"Hey," he said gently and puts his hand on her shoulder and she looks up to him, "It's alright to love something."

"But I can't love the tiger more than you. Right?"

The Master smiled sadly. "You love all of us too at the same time. Going after you're friend really shows that you care. And me going after you and they're help shows that we care too. I love you."

"You saved me?"

The Master nodded. Gilmer grinned as she hugged her hero and exclaimed, "Thanks for saving me!"

"You're welcome." He hugged back and smiling gently. They hugged for a minute until Gil remembered and let's go. "Wait. Where's Jeff?"

"He's outside. Why?"

"I want to thank him also."

"For what?" The Master asked.

"For giving me CPR."

He chuckled and said, "We'll thank him." Gil nodded and then feels bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene."

"You didn't," he said with a smile, "You're just pretty attached to your puppet."

"I had to go after it. There is nobody nearby to ask for help, and it's my fault I let it go. Besides, Jerry drove a few feet away from where it fell."

They both laughed. They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Gilmer continued to warm herself up and finished her tea as the Master watches and thoughts to himself about the past events that happened a few minutes ago. Though she's a little normal, but he can still think of her as smart, quirky and childlike in a way, and also the one he bounces with like a ball. He wouldn't blame her for her actions, it was all an accident.

But then he snaps himself out of his thoughts as Gil's eyelids start to get droopy. She yawned politely covering her mouth with her hand. The Master noticed. "Tired?"

"A little." Gilmer rubbed her eyes and stretched. He realized she's really worn out from an ordeal. He thought it would be nice if she should get some rest. So the Master stood up and helped lay her down. She never did protest. He took the cup away from her and placed it on the floor. The blanket that Gil still has on tightly, she let it loose and curled up underneath it. She can't help but feel the warmth and softness of it.

"Wait." She looked around wearily, "Where's my tiger?" He went to the heater and picked it up, the puppet is all warm and dried up. He gave it to her, and she hugged it tightly, like a child hugging a stuffed animal, happy to be reunited with her companion, she exclaimed to the Master softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the Master said gently.

She sighed contently and hugged her tiger close. As she did, she slipped her hand in it to let it cuddle with her, "I'm so happy that you're back with me," she whispers happily to it, "I am never ever ever going to lose you again." Then her eyes drifted shut still holding on to it.

The Master smiled and then stood up quietly, and turned for the door. But then he heard, "Wait..."

He turned around to see his disciple sitting up holding her puppet close to her chest.

Gilmer asked him, "Can you stay with me?... Until I fall asleep?" She looks down, sighs, and confessed, "I don't know how to say this. But I hate to be alone."

He smiled warmly at Gilmer. Because of a near-death experience, she must be still scared and terrified. He nodded, came over and sits on the cot beside her. As soon as he was comfortably seated, he wrapped his arms around Gil, kissed the top of her head while rocking her like a person who rocks a child. Gilmer had her head on his shoulder getting comfortable. She listens to a heartbeat and felt the warmth from her teacher. She lethargically held her tiger close.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked, and Gil nodded. "Are you warm?" He asked again. She nodded and nestled into his shoulder. "Very..."

He looked at the puppet she's still holding and asked, "Is the tiger warm too?" Gilly glared at him. She thought maybe he either teased her, or just making sure. She was even too tired to nod. "Mmmm-hmmmmm."

"And your leg? How is it?"

Gil looks down to her leg and sees a white bandage wrapped around underneath her sock. "It still hurts a little bit. But I'm sure it'll be fine like Katie said. Master?"

He looked down to her eyes and she said smirking, "remind me to never go in the water again."

He beamed as he continued to rock her slowly.

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for saving me," Gilmer yawned sleepily. She can barely keep her eyes open. They're really heavy.

The Master can't help but chuckle at Gil, she looked awfully cute when she's sleepy. He whispered, "You're welcome."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, until he heard soft breathing. He looked down and noticed she has fallen asleep.

The Master smiled gently at the girl. "No matter what happens. I'll always love you."

He cuddled for a minute, then gently, he laid her back down on the cot her head on the pillow, put a blanket back on her, and softly kissed her on the forehead while he strokes her unbraided hair which is dry.

Suddenly he heard a squeak, and then quickly turned around. The door opened at a crack, Lynne slowly peeked in holding Gilmer's shoes and hat. "How is she?"

The Master shushed her, mouthing "she's asleep," and pointing to Gil's sleeping form.

Lynne whispered, "Good girl. She must be exhausted from a scary adventure!" Then she giggles at the sight, puts down the stuff, then left, and softly closed the door.

The Master chuckled and then looks back at Gilmer, who smiles in her sleep, happy with her two companions by her side. He is happy too to have his disciple back, safe and sound.

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><p><strong>Again. This ain't no romance! Just friends with fluff!<strong>

**Review and tell me how it is. No negative comments please. Positive comments will pet her puppet.**


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